Unconquerable
by Batman Lamp-Writer
Summary: Amity Park was supposed to be a haven for me.  I had new friends, a new totally hott boyfriend, and a real, comfortable, safe home.  So why did HE have to come to ruin it?  And why is it that I'm actually... starting to feel sorry for him?  Sam's POV.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okayyy, writing this as the dog freaks out upstairs, which is always freaky when the house is empty and mostly dark. Lolz. Anywayz, new story idea that I got while reading Linda Joy Singleton's Seer series. Awesome books, totally recommend them for fun-reading.

\!(-43

Amity Park was a safe haven for me. It was a place where I could finally be myself in a small town I enjoyed.

Well, _mostly_ myself. It was hard to be completely myself after what happened at Madison High.

Either way, moving in with Grandma Ida was for the best. I was able to start over fresh. No one knew my past at Casper High, and I was beginning to actually fit in here. Ida and I have managed for the past few months on our own in her house.

It was the most amazing home ever, too. Our house had two floors and an attic, which I had claimed. There was a barn outside, complete with a few horses, cows, chickens, dogs, and cats. It was a cozy place, taking up ten acres for all the animals. It truly felt like home.

But life isn't always great. Not even in Amity.

" 'To the girl with the crescent tattoo, don't do it'?" Tucker Foley glanced at me, probably wondering if I'd gone crazy. "That's great stuff and all, Sam, but don't do _what?_"

It wasn't everyday Tucker came to me for suggestions to put into his psychic column in the newspaper. After all, my only job was to check for errors, never to _write_.

I shrugged. "How should I know? I don't even know if the girl exists. Tuck, you asked me for suggestions, I gave you one, using it or not is all up to you."

"Where'd you even get the _idea?_ I mean, that's grade A stuff right there!"

"Tucker, decide whether or not you'll use it and turn your column in. You've only got twenty minutes.

"Sorry, Sammy, I just… it's different, y'know?"

Believe me, I know.

I wanted to scream that at him. His article was always the most talked about in the whole paper, yet when I mention an idea to him, all I get is his doubts.

Not that he knows my visions are real.

"Don't call me Sammy," I snapped instead. "My name is Sam."

"Aw, c'mon! Y'know you like it when I call you that!" He flashed one of his "winning" smiles.

I wanted to gag.

"Actually, no, I don't. And if you call me that again, I will _personally_ shove my foot up your—"

He winced. "Point taken! Still, it's a weird thing to come up with. A crescent tattoo…."

"Yes, my mind works in strange ways. I'll be going now."

"See ya tomorrow, Sammeh!"

"_Quit calling me that!_"

\!(-43

I was lucky enough to get home safe. Lately, I'd been having visions of that tattooed girl nonstop. Always the same: blood, gore, and death. If I could just find her, I'd help, but I don't know who on earth she could be. I didn't even have an idea of where to start!

I ignored the thought and went past Ida to the stairs. The bathroom was on the second floor, and I had just decided on borrowing some of Ida's natural scented bubble bath when I heard something. Turning, I leaned in closer. Yes, I could definitely hear a sloshing sound from the bathroom.

Terrified and thinking someone was in there, I grabbed a broom from a cupboard nearby and approached the door again. I pushed it open with the broom handle and looked inside to see… a huge falcon bathing in the sink.

I was so confused by the giant bird that I didn't notice the shadow behind me. Once I did, I dropped the broom, opening my mouth to scream. A hand reached forward, closing tightly around my mouth as another snaked around my waist. I screamed into his hand as he dragged me out of the bathroom.

"God, how do I get you to shut up?" he murmured. His voice was hoarse and scratchy, like he hadn't used it in a long time or wasn't used to talking.

"You don't!" I tried to say. All that came out was "oo" followed by a clucking noise.

He tripped slightly, grabbing tighter at my waist. Startled and not realizing he was only trying to get his balance, I brought my leg up backwards between his. He let go of my waist and his hand on my mouth loosened.

"Dammit, this wasn't in the frickin' job description!" he growled, straining to keep from doubling over in pain.

Nervous that he'd been hired to break in or something, I bit down on his hand.

_Hard._

"Duh—huh—_ham_mit!" he cried. "That frickin' _hurts!_" He let go immediately, trying to check his hand.

I dove away from him and turned back, broom in hand again and glaring. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You bite worse than the wolves back home! Do you have _fangs_ or somethin'?" He sucked on his hand, wincing at the pain.

"Why are you here?!?" I yelled, raising the broom.

"Damn, you don't have to be so—_OW!_" he screeched when I hit him on the head. "Geez, Ida sure was lyin' about you!"

"How do you know my granma?"

" 'She's _so_ sweet'," he said, imitating Ida's voice. " 'She'd never hurt a fly! She's accepting of _everyone!_' Yeah, hit the nail on the head on _that_ one…."

"How do you know her?!?"

He simply glared at me. I finally got a good look at him. He was right around my age, maybe a year older. That meant he was seventeen with oddly bleached-white hair and bright, emerald green eyes. He wore black faded jeans that were baggy and ripped and an unbuttoned black shirt over a white muscle tee. He was taller than me, probably six foot or more, and his wiry body looked too thin to be healthy. Yet he had muscular arms and pale skin.

"Why are you in here?" I asked, slightly calmer now that I knew what I was up against. "What's with the bird?"

He let go of his hand, allowing blood to drip slowly to the floor. He eyed me for a moment before replying. "He's a falcon. He got oil on his wings, so I brought him in to clean it up. I didn't mean to spook you."

"You didn't 'spook' me," I denied, rolling my eyes at the phrase. Who spoke like _that_ anymore?

"If you'd yelled, you'd have scared Blade off." He glanced back into the bathroom where the falcon—Blade—was splashing around.

"That falcon is _yours?_"

He turned to glare at me again. "He's not _mine._ I don't own him. You can't own somethin' wild."

"You let a _wild falcon_ in here?!?" I screamed, shocked. What an idiot!

"Hey, he trusts me, and he was in trouble! If you'd screamed back there, he woulda hurt himself! He woulda panicked."

"So you _attacked_ me?"

"I didn't _attack_ you. I pulled you out. And if my memory's correct, _you're_ the one who was attackin' _me!_"

"I—I—you—it—How the hell was I supposed to know that?!? I don't even know who you are!"

"Well, ya coulda _asked_ rather than _bite me!_"

"Oh, _that_ would've been _brilliant!_" I put on a high-pitched voice. "Hi, I'm Samantha Manson, and you've just broken into my house! What _ever_ might you be doing here?"

"God, you're to sarcastic for your own good, y'know that?"

"Oh, and _you're_ just a pile of cheer, I'm guessing?"

"Look, you don't know me, I don't know you, but I'm allowed in here, so let's just leave it at that!" He started to walk away, but I grabbed for his arm. I missed.

That only made me angrier. "I'm not letting this go just like _that!_" I yelled, whacking him over the head with the broom again.

He cursed loudly, throwing his hands up to protect his head. "It's just my luck to be stuck with the crazy chick!"

"Oh, _I'm_ crazy? What about _you?_ You have a _wild falcon_, for crying out loud! You broke into our house, and you're trying to say you know my granma!"

"I _do_ know your granma! And it's not breakin' in if I'm _allowed in!_"

"Oh, yeah, and my granma let you in here without _warning_ me? Like I'm gonna believe _that!_"

"Didja ever even think she mighta _forgot?_"

"Granma Ida would _never_ forget something important like this!"

"She coulda!"

"No, she couldn't! You don't know her, so how would you know _anything?_"

"People forget things, it's _that _simple!"

"She wouldn't have forgotten to tell me some stupid _boy_ was in here!"

"She coulda! Other people do!"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes again. Just how stupid was this guy, anyway? "Who in their right mind would forget about a _kid?_"

He lowered his head, casting his face into grim shadows. "You'd be surprised…."

"What does a jerk like _you_ know about that kind of stuff?"

The tips of his ears turned red as he glared at me, fists clenched. "More than _you_, you selfish little princess wannabe!"

All I remember was hearing a slap. My hand hovered in the air, the back of it towards his face. A bright red mark was on his cheek, and his head was turned away from me. He still managed to glare sideways, though.

I had hit him.

I gaped, covering it up by stammering out, "H—How _dare_ you? How dare you call me something like that! You don't even know me, you don't have the _right_ to call me names!" I caught my breath, hissing out one last "How dare you?"

"Easily," he spat back. "It's princesses like _you_ who royally screw up other people's lives! You may seem innocent and perfect, but you don't care about anyone except yourself! I bet you're pretty popular at school, huh? Hanging out with cheerleaders and jocks, making other people feel sorry for themselves while you step all over them in your climb to the top of the school's social ladder!"

I scoffed, turning away from him. "I don't see what my friends have to do with this, and I don't see why you're _in my house!_"

"He's here because I invited him."

I spun quickly to face Ida, who was glancing over _him_. "W—_What?_" I gasped.

"Nichael, you're bleeding! And your face is bruising, too!" She rushed over to him, trying to clean him up some.

"I'm fine," he muttered, turning away from Ida as a blush crawled across his cheeks. It stood out horribly against his pale skin, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Ida gave him a narrow look. "Are you sure?"

He sighed, turning further from me. "I'm fine!"

Ida glared at him before nodding once and turning to me. She gave me a horribly angry look, and I dropped the broom, blushing myself. "Heh heh, uh, hi, Ida…."

"Samantha Manson, you should be more polite! Nichael is new in town, and I've agreed to let him work around the house for the barn loft."

"W—What? He's—He's _living_ here?!?"

"In the barn loft. He's going to be helping out around the house with repairs and the animals."

"B—But I can—!"

"Not like he can. Stop fussing and welcome him, Sam. Nichael is part of our family now."

\!(-43

A/N: Okay, first off, Nichael is pronounced Nizh-eye-el. Yes, this is a purdy extreme AU, but it gets very interesting later on. Anywayz, each chapter will be from Sam's POV. Well, byez, y'all!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Using up my spare time while my internet's down. Here's the next chappy of Unconquerable!

\!(-43

My grandmother had gone _insane._

It was _days_ after the _lovely_ incident in the bathroom hallway with Nichael, and the jerk was _still_ hanging around my home. Why couldn't he just _leave?_ Ida and I were fine! We didn't need _him_ around, no matter what Ida thought.

So, I tried to make it clear to him that I wanted him gone. But anytime I got mad and insulted him, some animal would come by that needed his attention. I didn't get it at all.

My best friend met him on the next Monday. Paulina had decided that we didn't hang out as often as we should. More likely, she'd heard about Nichael and wanted to check him out for herself.

And she actually _liked_ what she saw.

"He is _so_ fine!" she exclaimed to me as we walked into the school. "I mean, how can you diss him so much? He's, like, the hottest thing since, since—" She cut off.

One look up, and I knew why. The heartthrob of the school was walking by. Athletic, funny, sweet Danny Fenton was walking our way, for once separated from his best friend and meathead jock Dash Baxter.

I'd had a crush on him since I first saw him, just like every other girl at school, but he was super picky. He was the only jock at school who _didn't_ have a new girl every week. In fact, he hardly dated at all.

All the more reason to want.

"—Since _him_," Pauli finally finished. "Face it, Sam, your farm boy is the rugged version of Danny Fenton!"

"No _way!_" I laughed, dismissing the thought with a wave. They were total opposites! Nichael had bleached hair and dark eyes while Danny had midnight locks and the palest, prettiest ice blue eyes I'd ever seen. Danny mostly wore brighter, happier colors while I'd only ever seen Nichael in black and clunky combat boots. There was _no way_ anyone could say they were the same.

Yet Pauli wouldn't let it go.

"They could be _twins!_ I mean, change the hair and eyes on one of them, and they're _identical!_"

"Pauli, drop it. Nichael's a jerk."

"A very _hot _jerk."

"Quit it!"

"Scoop him up quick, Sam, or I might."

Okay, I _seriously_ needed to stop this, and I knew the best way how. "Wait. _You_, cheerleading captain, dating a borderline _Goth?_"

Her nose scrunched. "You're right! What was I _thinking?!?_"

"I have no idea." I rolled my eyes as the topic immediately switched to Dash's newest girl. I tuned Pauli out, and she turned instead to a couple cheerleaders as I went to my first class, not noticing the guy walking toward me until I ran into him.

I stood immediately, gathering my books and trying to get his. "I am _so_ sorry! I wasn't looking, and—" I finally looked at who I'd run into.

Danny Fenton looked back up at me.

"Oh, God, I'm _so_ sorry! Lemme help you up." I reached out a hand to him, but he chuckled.

"I'm good, thanks." He stood on his own and took his books back. I struggled not to blush as our hands brushed each other.

"W—Well, are—are you okay?"

He glanced sideways at me. "I'm fine. You?"

"I—I'm good." _Mortified, but good._

He grinned and stretched out a hand. "Danny Fenton."

"I know," I said dazedly. At his odd look, I shook my head and instead replied, "Sam Manson."

"Pretty." He copied me by shaking his head. "Uh, pretty name."

I blushed. "Thanks. I never really liked it, 'cause it meant my full name was Samantha, which I absolutely _despise_." _God, why am I rambling? Someone stop me from rambling! I am such a spazz!_

"I know how you feel," he said, grimacing. "My stepdad refuses to call me anything other than Daniel." He turned fully to me and smiled. "Sam is a better name for you. It's more real. Samantha sounds like some doll."

"Yeah. Danny sounds better, too. Daniel is too… strict."

"Tell that to Vlad," he replied. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Vlad?"

"Eh, my stepdad. Mom remarried."

"Oh. What about your real dad?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. He just kinda… disappeared. I was really young when he left, so… it's not that bad."

"So, your mom must really like this Vlad guy, huh?"

"They were friends in college. Mom and Dad were dating, and Dad introduced her to Vlad. They were their school's golden trio."

"Wow."

"What about your parents?"

"Mom and Dad live in Madison. I live with my granma Ida." _And a __**jerk**__ named Nichael_.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No. Just me. Why, do you?"

"Yeah. I have two. An older sister and brother."

"How much older?"

"Jazz is in college. My brother would be a few months older. We'd have been twins, but he was born prematurely, and I came on time. He always said that meant that he was the weird one and I was normal."

"W—What happened to him?"

"He… he was in a car crash. Mom was driving, and Jazz had lost rock-paper-scissors for the front seat. I—I was sick, so Vlad watched me at home. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, Vlad took me to the hospital. Mom had been talking to Jazz, and my brother was asleep in the front seat, so Mom didn't notice. A—A drunk was driving straight at them, almost going off the road. He crashed head-on and to the right. M—My brother didn't make it."

A hand flew to my mouth. "What about your mom and sister?"

"They were at the hospital. Jazz was fine, but Mom… she was stuck in a wheelchair. She was paralyzed waist-down, and she blamed herself for—for his death. She died a couple years later."

"I'm _so_ sorry."

"It's okay." He half-smiled. "Jazz, Vlad, and I get along fine. I wasn't that old at the time, and I know they wouldn't want me all depressed."

"Yeah. They're probably happy waiting for you, wherever they are."

"Yeah…." He shook his head, then looked back at me. "We'd better get to class."

"Yeah, the bell's about to ring." We each took off again, going our separate ways.

But we looked back and smiled before leaving.

\!(-43

"Hey, Tuck," I said dreamily as I walked in. He looked up, took one glance at me, and smirked. Happy mood shattered. "What?" I snapped.

"Who's the guy?" His grin was getting annoying.

I blushed. "W—What guy? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh-ho-_ho!_ It's Fenton, isn't it?"

My blush deepened. He laughed.

"I _knew _it! When's the wedding?"

"Never, Tuck."

"Then when's the date?"

"Friday," I sighed. He'd asked me out later in lunch. I was able to keep at least a _little_ dignity by waiting a moment before saying yes. Loudly.

"Need help picking out an outfit?" he winked.

"Not from you." I smacked him on the head.

"Well, any time you need some psychic advice, you can always come to Good Luck Tuck!"

I chuckled. Like _I'd_ need help from a fake psychic!

"Thanks, but no thanks," I said. "I'll do fine on my own."

"Keep telling yourself that," he said. "I'll be waiting for you to come running to me for help."

I rolled my eyes and worked on editing until the bell rang. I basically floated home with thoughts of Danny Fenton in my head.

Once at Ida's, I crash-landed when I saw Nichael outside smirking, his falcon circling overhead.

"What do _you_ want?" I hissed.

"Nothin' from _you_."

"What, too 'good' for me?"

"Yeah, I think I _am_ too good for princesses like you."

"Quit calling me that!"

"You wouldn't mind if your _boyfriend_ called you that now, would you?"

"W—What?" I gasped. How could he…?

"He's called five times since your school ended. Ida says she hears bells."

I blushed. Ida ran a matchmaking website. Anytime she got a perfect match, wedding bells only she could hear would sound. Saying she heard bells meant she approved of Danny.

"I—I'll call him back."

"You'd better. I'm not your flippin' secretary."

"I didn't ask you to be. And next time, don't listen in on my messages!" 

"Sorry, I thought there'd be one for me."

My eyebrow arched of its own accord. "Who would call _you?_"

"Never mind," he grumbled, moving away from the door. "It's none of your damn business, anyway."

"What the hell is _with_ you? Your attitude wreaks, and frankly, you're not much better."

"You ain't all that great, either, princess. You're just too blinded by fake relationships to see it."

H—how? I asked myself that as he walked away. How could he know about _that?_

At my old school, my best friend and I had been inseparable. At least, we _had_ been, until the Accident.

She had been one of the first people to sign the petition to kick me out. The same petition that led to Mom telling me to pack my bags.

There was _no way_, no possible _way_ Nichael could know about that. Madison High was hundreds of miles away, and I definitely hadn't told anyone. I was the only person who knew that I thought Pauli would wind up backstabbing me, too.

So how did Nichael find out?

\!(-43

A/N: Okay, next chapter has some fun background development for Nichael. And, what's this? _Danny Fenton_ at school? Hmmm….

Lolz, byes, y'all!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I should've typed and posted this a while ago, but school's been killer. Anywayz, here, finally, is the next chappy of Unconquerable!

\!(-43

Not much else happened until Friday. School was the same as ever, and Nichael was starting to keep his distance.

And I was getting ready for Danny to pick me up. We were double-dating with Dash and his newest girl. Confusingly enough, Danny had told me her name was Danielle.

She went by Dani. With an i.

I had Pauli come over to help me get ready. I was rather nervous.

"Alright, you need something light colored, due to that blonde hair of yours. Maybe violet, match your eyes? Yes, violet's _perfect!_ Danny won't be able to take his eyes off you!"

She quickly looked through my violet shirts before picking an off-the-shoulder spaghetti strap. A black rose was printed at the bottom. Cheering her success, Pauli pulled out a pair of bellbottom jeans with violet roses stitched up the sides and purple fabric sown into the flares. I had to admit, I looked _good._

All I had to do was wait for Danny to come pick me up. I waited outside, hoping to avoid any embarrassment. Nichael was working on a fence not too far away. The fence separated our home from the forest right next to it. A broken fence meant escaped animals, which Ida wants to avoid.

When Danny drove up, I smiled and glanced off to the side. Nichael had stopped working on the fence and was instead leaning against it, glaring at us. I shivered and turned to Danny.

"Could we go, please?" I begged.

"What's the rush?"

"Just…don't wanna stick around here much longer."

He chuckled. "As you wish."

\!(-43

We picked up Dash and Danielle at his house. Danielle seemed to be shy, preferring to stand behind the blonde jock rather than come forward. She had long, flowing black hair with a single white streak that hung into her face. Somewhat startled, I blinked at it.

Dash and Danielle got into the back seat, talking just loud enough for me to hear.

"Ready for the best movie this year?" he asked haughtily.

"Ready for anything," she said breathlessly.

I felt grossed out. She was probably a year or two younger than Dash, but it sounded like she'd do anything for him. He was going to end up getting her in trouble. And when he did, he wouldn't be around to blame. He'd make sure of that.

Slurping sounds came from the back, and I shuddered. They couldn't possibly be _just kissing_ with all that noise!

I was relieved when we got to the theater. No more noises. Dash was smirking as he and Danielle got out, a goofy smile plastered on her face.

We all walked in and got our seats. I sighed as the previews were played. This would end up being a boring jock movie.

Looking at the seat next to me, I remembered the only reason I'd decided to come.

Danny smiled at me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. Being noticed could actually be a good thing at Casper.

I managed to enjoy myself by watching Danny watch the movie rather than actually watching it myself. It also enabled me to keep my thoughts off of whatever Danny and Danielle might be doing. I was pretty sure they weren't here to see a movie.

When it was over, we stood and exited, throwing out our empty popcorn and soda containers. Danielle looked a little red, but Dash seemed normal. I guess nothing _too_ bad happened.

We rode home in silence, amazingly enough. When we dropped Dash and Danielle off at Dash's house, she raised a hand to wave good-bye. I gasped at what was on her wrist.

A crescent-shaped tattoo.

We were already gone by the time I noticed it, so I asked Danny.

"Is Danielle into tattoos?"

"A little. She said her mom drew a lot, so she got a tattoo of one of her designs."

"That's cool." Suddenly, I was _very_ glad Tuck didn't print my 'crescent-girl' vision. "So, here we are."

We had just pulled up to my house. It was dark, but I was _sure_ Nichael was nearby.

"Yeah…." Danny whispered.

I sighed, slowly taking off my seatbelt. A hand reached over and was laid gently on my arm. I looked up shyly at Danny.

"I—I had a good time tonight," he stuttered. It was _so_ cute. "A—And next time, you can pick the movie." 

I smiled. "I'd like that. But next time, could we not go with Dash? Danielle was nice, but he was kinda…."

Danny chuckled. "He takes some getting used to. Sorry about him."

"He's just… too jockish. You're so much nicer."

He fought a blush and lost. "Thanks. You're really nice, too."

"Y—You're just saying that…."

"No." He shook his head. "I _mean_ it, Sam."

He leaned in, and just like that we were kissing.

\!(-43

I woke up early the next day, feeling giddy. I floated downstairs for a quick breakfast, then went outside to do my chores after changing into grubby clothes.

I grabbed a basket to collect eggs and had found eleven by the time I got to the true hiders. I had just pulled out the twelfth shiny, perfect egg and proudly said "An even dozen!" when I heard it.

"Make it a baker's dozen." Nichael. Happy feeling gone. He was glancing down at me, smirking smugly. "You missed one."

I'd had enough of him. "Oh, yeah? Where?"

"Those bushes over there." He nodded to some rose bushes, and I shook my head. His smirk widened. "What, _scared?_"

"No!" I blushed. "None of the animals would go _near_ those!"

"You'd be surprised what they'd do to hide stuff."

Huffing, I bent down next to the bush and reached in. "Nothing," I called.

"Little to the left."

I moved my hand, and sure enough there was another egg. I turned to Nichael. "How'd you—?"

"Little birdie told me," he said smugly. "Lucky number thirteen." He turned and left, leaving me alone to my thoughts for two seconds before I ran to catch up with him.

"_Wait!_" I called. He actually stopped and turned around. "What did you mean by—?"

"It's a _sayin'_," he sighed. "It doesn't mean what it sounds like." He turned again and was about to leave.

"_Wait!_" I grabbed his shirt sleeve and dug my heels in to keep him from walking away.

He sighed in exasperation. "What _now?_" he asked, annoyed as if _I_ was the one intruding at _his_ home!

I was about to snap at him, but something behind him made me stop. Floating there was a woman with auburn hair and violet-blue eyes that looked calmly at Nichael. She glanced at me and half-smiled. Something told me this… this was his mother.

_Tell him, Nickel for your thoughts,_ she murmured. She held up a shiny nickel and slid it into his pocket.

"Nickel for your thoughts?" I said, confused. "Isn't it supposed to be penny?"

Nichael froze. "W—_What?_"

It was the first time I'd ever heard or seen him do something as normal as stutter. He tore away from my hold and took two steps backwards.

"W—Where'd you h—hear that?"

"She said it," I said, surprised. People could often see ghosts here in Amity Park. It was a ghost super-center, and everyone had been exposed to enough ectoplasm that they could see stronger ghosts. The fact that I could see weaker ones didn't seem too weird to people.

"_Who?_" Now, he had grabbed my shoulders, staring at me.

I blushed. "The—The ghost behind you."

He let go and turned quickly, glancing around. "Why can't I see her?" he whispered. "I… I w—was there… wasn't I?"

_Tell him I forgive him,_ the ghost of his mother begged, nearly crying. _For everything. Tell him!_

"She—she says she forgives you, for everything."

He shook, and I didn't have to be psychic to know that he was hiding his tears from me. "Tell her… tell her I don't deserve it." He ran off to the barn, where his loft apartment was.

Confused, I turned instead to his mother.

She was crying now, too. _He does deserve it, he just doesn't know. He blames himself. He says that if he was there, it wouldn't have happened. But it would have, one way or another. It was better he wasn't there, but I'd rather he'd been somewhere other than… where he was._

She lowered her head, then disappeared.

I closed my eyes, then turned to stare at the barn. Maybe, just _maybe_, I'd been too hard on him….

\!(-43

A/N: Okay, that's chappy three! Now, I'm really excited about the next chappy, where we get some more Nich background and even :gasp: Nich angst! Anywayz, I normally don't do this, but I really want at least two reviews before next chappy. Sadly, I prolly won't get it up for a while since school wants to kill me, but I will try really hard to get it up as soon as I get two reviews!! So please, please review 'cause I really need _something_ to get my mind off my homicidal school! Byez y'all!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank God for half days!! I finally get to type up what is most definitely my favorite chapter in this story to date. So, voila! I give you chapter four!! And, yes, I'm inserting the song lyrics he's listening to, so sue me.

\!(-43

The next day, Sunday, I feigned sickness so Ida would leave me at home. Once she was gone, I snuck out to the barn.

Nichael had refused to eat anything last night. Not that he ever eats with us, but Ida came back from the barn with his full plate and a shocked look on her face. He didn't eat breakfast, either.

I grabbed a plate and some food before going out. I made my way quickly up to the loft and knocked on his door. I could hear loud music coming from inside. I recognized it after a moment as Hawk Nelson's "The One Thing I Have Left". I knocked louder, hoping he'd hear this time.

_Will someone please radio for help_

_'Cause I think I'm allergic to myself_

_And they think they can throw us all away_

_We gotta stop it before it's all too late_

He didn't.

"_Nichael?_" I called as I rapped on the door again. "Nichael, open up! I..I wanna talk to you."

The music was lowered, and I could hear footsteps coming to the door. He opened it just wide enough to peek out at me. "What?" he grumbled.

_There's got to be a better way_

_They dissect everything we say_

_To try to make us feel this way_

"I—I brought you a snack." I held up the plate as a sort of peace offering. I mean, I guess it really was, since I was trying to make at least temporary peace with the guy!

"I'm not hungry," he said bluntly, glaring.

He was about to close the door, but I pushed my foot up against it. "Please, just… listen to what I have to say."

_And you can take the one thing I have left_

_I'd give it all away for so much less_

_Could even take the heart inside my chest_

_Whoa-Whoa_

He stared at me for a few moments, sizing me up. "…Fine." He opened up the door and motioned for me to come inside.

There wasn't much in his room. It seemed he was working on painting the walls black with some paints Grampa had left from when it had been his art studio. Only one picture was in the room, and it was of some forest with animals everywhere. A small boom box was plugged into the only outlet in the room. His bed stuck out from the wall, the stereo on the stand next to it.

He walked over and turned the volume back up some. I had to admit, for such a small thing, it sure was _loud!_

When I finally adjusted to the noise, I noticed he was looking at me oddly. "What?" I asked, blinking.

_And you can take the one thing I have left_

_Beat me to the ground and take my breath(no)_

_But you can't take who I am _

_Whoa-Whoa_

"You were spacin' out. Didn' even hear me ask…."

"Ask what?"

"…What my mom told you."

"Oh…that…." How was I supposed to answer _that?_ I couldn't just tell him his answer to her forgiveness had sent her sobbing home! Or to whatever place ghosts call home. "She…she said you did deserve forgiveness, but you didn't know it."

_And I swear we were born to let you down_

_We scream but never make a sound_

_We point but don't know which direction_

_We are America right now_

He nodded and sighed. "Mom got…sick. I wasn' at home, so I—I couldn' help her. She died while I was gone, and I've only been able to see her once since then. That's why… why—"

"Why you were freaking out."

"Yeah…." He shook his head. "Did she say anythin' else?"

"Something about her preferring if you'd been somewhere other than where you were, but I couldn't follow very well."

"That sounds like her. I—I'm… sorry that I ran off like that. I was… nervous, I guess."

Gasp, had he actually _apologized?_ For something that probably was really _my_ fault? Wow.

"It's…it's okay. I understand. I mean, I'd've been freaked out, too. Well, especially 'cause, last I heard, Mom wasn't dead."

His still-husky voice laughed. It sounded almost…haunting, the way he chuckled. Yet it was also enchanting.

Because it was a _real_ laugh.

_There's got to be a better way_

_They dissect everything we say_

_To try to make us feel this way_

All I'd seen from Nichael since he got here had been sarcasm or biting remarks. Never once did he show his true self. Yet here we were, laughing together.

Wouldn't Ida be proud?

When he'd finally stopped laughing, Nichael studied me again. "What?" I asked, not nearly as harsh now.

"Ida said you'd outgrown it."

I gaped. "W—_What?_" The only thing that I remember saying I outgrew was—

"You're still psychic. Why won' you tell Ida that?"

I thought through my answer. Something told me he wouldn't just accept "_Because!_"

_And you can take the one thing I have left_

_I'd give it all away for so much less_

_Could even take the heart inside my chest_

_Whoa-Whoa_

"Well?"

"I wanna be normal," I muttered. There, I'd admitted it. Now what?

"You coulda told Ida that."

"Yeah, but then she'd be _really_ disappointed."

"Still, it's better than a lie."

The sad part was, he was right. And I knew it.

_And you can take the one thing I have left_

_Beat me to the ground and take my breath(no)_

_But you can't take who I am_

_Whoa-Whoa_

A thought jumped into my head just then/ "Wait, why'd Ida tell you—?"

" 'Cause you 'weren' psychic anymore'. Don' worry, though, I'm the only one she told."

"Either way, she shouldn't have told you!" And there goes our happy moment.

"Well, she did, so get over it!"

"Why'd she have to tell _you?_ You're just some jerk who works here!"

"Just because I work here doesn't mean you can make fun of me!"

"Well, I think it does, so _get over it!_"

_How can I be (the same)_

_How can I take (the blame)_

_How come I am so tired of all these charades?_

_How can I be (the one)_

_How can I hold (the gun)_

_How can I see if everyone else is to blame_

He chuckled scathingly. "Exactly what a princess like you would say. I bet the world revolves around you, huh?"

Erg, he ticks me off so much!

I scoffed. "Only an idiot would believe _that!_"

"Wow, don' insult yourself so much. I thought that was _my_ job."

_Hey! hey!_

_Don't want to be the_

_Hey! hey!_

_Don't want to see the_

_Hey! hey!_

I screamed. "You are so… so—"

"Don' hurt yourself, thinkin' that hard."

"—SO _ANNOYING!_"

"Right, _I'm_ the annoying one. Then that makes you insanely _immature_."

"The only one here who's immature is _you._ _AND TURN __**OFF**__ THAT STUPID __**MUSIC!**_"

_'Cause we point the finger_

_Think everyone else is to blame, blame—_

The music shut off immediately, plunging us into silence. Now, the only sound was Nichael's ragged breathing. Confused, I turned to him.

"Damn," he muttered. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, _damn!_" The last thing I saw was him staring at me in panic before the lights turned off.

There was a clatter, a hissed four-letter word, and a bang. Light flooded back into the room as the window shade was snapped up. Nichael was illuminated by the light, his bright hair blinding as he struggled with someone below him.

"What the—?" I gasped. The two rolled over, and now light shone on his attacker.

It was a man in his late thirties, early forties. He had brown hair and looked pale. He had grey eyes that were tinged red and almost glowed.

He was a ghost.

"Nichael?" I tried cautiously. The ghost above him laughed.

"_Nichael?_" he mocked, sneering down at his captive. Nichael tried to punch him, but he pinned his arms down. _Painfully_.

Nichael cried out, trying and failing to twist out of the ghost's hold.

"_Nichael?_" the ghost chuckled. "Seriously? You're actually going by _Nichael?_"

"Shove off, _Ian_," he spat, kicking up and managing to roll over on top of the ghost. His arms pulled free, and he hit the ghost—Ian—in the face. Ian's head rolled, and he groaned. "I don' need _you_ comin' back to haunt me!"

Ian laughed. "Oh, that's where you're wrong, _Nicky_."

Nichael twitched. "Oh, yeah? How?"

"_I'm_ not the one coming back to haunt you."

Nichael gaped in surprise. "Wha—_What?_"

His shock gave the ghost a chance to spin them again. He shoved his forearm into Nichael's throat. Nichael coughed. Ian leaned his head down to whisper something to Nichael that caused his eyes to widen in panic.

"No…" he hissed. "You can' be… that's not _possible!_"

"Oh, it _is_, Nicky, and you know it." Ian let up slightly on his throat. "That's why you came _back_, remember?" He pushed down harshly one last time before disappearing. The music suddenly turned back on, playing out the last bit of the song.

_Everyone else is to blame_

Nichael panted on the ground as I shut off the music again. I just stared, confused and lost with no idea what to do.

After what seemed like forever, he stood, turned, and stared me down.

"Tha' never happened," he said, voice more ragged than I'd ever heard it. "Never, got it?"

"Wh—What? How can you expect me to pretend I didn't see that?"

"I don' know, I just do!" he snarled.

"How could he hurt you?" I continued. "He's a—"

"—a ghost? Not exactly. Tha' righ' there was a vengeful spirit. I'll let you guess who his vengeance is aimed at."

"You."

"Wow, right in one. You're smarter than I expected, princess."

"Why do you insult me like that?"

"I dunno, why do _you?_"

I paused. "Because you're invading my home" didn't seem like the right answer. "I don't know. I guess 'cause you were jerkish to me when you pulled me out of the bathroom last week."

"I'd had a bad day. It happens."

Oh. Well, duh.

"Well, you didn't have to be mean back!"

"Oh, yes, because you woulda trusted me _completely_ if I'da said 'Hi, I'm Nichael. Your gramma hired me and decided not ta tell ya. By the way, would ya like ta pet my falcon?'"

"Screw you," I said bitterly. "I'd rather you'd never come here."

"That makes two of us." He sighed. "But I had nowhere else to go, and home was definitely _not_ an option."

"What? Why?"

He turned to me and smiled grimly. "They think I'm dead."

"…Yeah, that'd be a bit awkward…."

"I mean, Mom's the only one I've seen since the… _that_, and I've only seen her once."

Geez, what the heck was I supposed to say to _that?_

"You're mother was very pretty." Wow, sympathetic, aren't I? Yeah, sympathetic. Minus the sym.

"Yeah…. I just… she shouldn' have died. She only died 'cause… 'cause I wasn' able to help her."

"It sounded like there was nothing _anyone_ could do, let alone you yourself."

"Oh, trust me, there was." The grim smile was back full-force. "I just never got a chance…."

"But you love her, and she knows that. And, as weird as it seems to me, she actually loves you, too."

"Thanks," he replied, only half-sarcastic as he rolled his eyes. But his smile now was true. "I guess you'll have ta put up with me for a while longer, huh? Me, and whatever other vengeful spirits feel the need ta come after me?"

I sighed. "I guess…." Inside, though, I felt a rush of joy.

He was opening up.

\!(-43

A/N: And now you see why it's my fave chappy! Anywayz, I'll try to work on the next one soon, but in the meantime, I've got another Hawk Nelson one-shot song-fic on the way! Watch out for Zero! BYEZ!


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